Who is Pack 317?
Cub Scout Pack 317 is Sponsored by St. Matthew the Apostle Catholic Parish in Gahanna, Ohio. Pack 317 is a traditional Cub Scout Pack accepting young gentlemen only. Pack meetings are one Monday a month, and each den meets at least one day a month.
Pack 317 or Pack 3317, which is it?
Both! Pack 3317 is in the Daybreak District within the Simon Kenton Council. We shorten it to Pack 317 for our Uniform numbers and Communications. You will find other Cub Scout Pack 317s across the country, but only ours are in the Simon Kenton Council.
What are some of the things Cub Scouts do?
Community service projects, craft projects, games & sports, campfires with songs & stories just to name a few. We gather both as a pack (once a month) and separately in our dens (at least once a month). Gatherings can be geared toward community service, completing rank achievements and/or just having fun!
What is a Pack and a Den?
Every Cub Scout is a member of a Cub Scout Pack, which includes boys from kindergarten through 5th grade. The Pack is divided into smaller groups called Dens that have about six to eight Cub Scouts, all of the same grade level.
How often do Cub Scouts meet?
Cub Scout dens typically meet once a month (determined by the members of that den), and Pack Meetings are held once a month. Every month, there may be optional events and activities offered for members of our pack, some of which may involve community service and/or outdoor field trips.
How much does Scouting cost?
When compared to the cost of sports and many other activities, there is no doubt that Scouting delivers great value to its members!
The registration fee for 2024-25 to join Scouting is $85 annually plus a $60 yearly Council fee. $145 in total.
In addition, there are one-time uniform costs and handbooks for each rank.
My son wasn’t in Cub Scouts last year, can he join without having completed the previous year?
Scouts are welcome to join at any time during grades K-5.
Why do Cub Scouts need to wear a uniform?
Scout uniforms are a key aspect of the Boy Scouts of America program. The uniform creates a sense of unity and symbolizes the principles to which we are committed – character development, citizenship training, and physical and mental fitness. The scout uniform also allows each scout to display individual accomplishments and recognition. By wearing your uniform, you show others that you are a member of the worldwide Scouting program.
How can I become an adult volunteer in Cub Scouting?
Contact any pack leader, easily spotted at pack meetings wearing the tan adult leader uniform! Whatever level of assistance you can provide is appreciated and welcomed! The pack only succeeds when there are enough adult volunteers to make it all come together! All adult volunteers must complete the Protecting God’s Children program through the diocese.
How do the Cub Scouts earn awards?
While having fun, scouts also earn badges and awards. Scouts will work on projects with their dens, the pack and their family members. Many of these achievements will be recognized during pack meetings, giving the scout the opportunity to feel a sense of pride and accomplishment.
The most popular awards for Cub Scouts are the Advancement Belt Loop awards. Cub Scouts do requirements to advance and earn their badges of rank: Lion, Tiger,, Wolf, Bear, Webelos, and the Arrow of Light Award. The Arrow of Light is the highest award in Cub Scouting. Webelos Scouts also earn activity badges.
Cub Scouts can earn many other awards and medals too, sometimes by themselves, sometimes as members of their pack. They can earn or help their pack earn Quality Unit awards, religious emblems, the Emergency Preparedness Award, the Outdoor Activity Award, or the World Conservation Award.
What are the major advancement milestones for Cub Scouts?
Recognition is important to younger youth. The Cub Scouting advancement plan provides fun for the boys and girls, gives them a sense of personal achievement as they earn badges, and strengthens family understanding as adult family members work with their Cub Scouts on advancement projects.
Each Cub Scout works on an age-appropriate rank badge by fulfilling different requirements that consist of new and fun learning experiences. The following are the grades of Cub Scouts and the rank they work towards:
Kindergarten – Lion
First grade – Tiger rank
Second grade – Wolf rank
Third grade – Bear rank
Fourth grade – Webelos
Fifth grade – Arrow of Light (This final year helps prepare youth for a transition to Scouts BSA)
What if a Cub Scout misses a den meeting and, therefore, does not complete the advancement?
Please contact the den leader. The Cub Scouts will be able to complete the missed activity with their family. Cub Scouts will be able to receive their badge or award only after the activity has been completed. Please inform the den leader when it has been completed.
Are den and pack activities planned for the summer?
Yes, but on a reduced scale. The pack typically offers at least one scout related event (Family Camp Out) in June. Individual dens may decide to meet, but are not required to.
Can siblings attend pack functions?
Absolutely! Cub Scouts is ALL about family. We encourage brothers, sisters, parents and even grandparents to attend pack functions!
My child is involved with other activities which will sometimes conflict with Cub Scout activities. Is it okay if we miss some meetings?
Our scouts are involved in many different activities outside of scouting. Between school plays, soccer, football, basketball, baseball, and swimming, it seems there is always something going on. The leaders understand this, because many of them are active in coaching these sports as well. Just follow the Cub Scout motto and “Do your best” to try to make it to the meetings. If you are coming from another event, such as a sports practice or game, do not worry about scouting attire. We would rather have the scout spend that preparation time in the den/pack meeting.
My son is occasionally disruptive in certain situations, what do I need to do?
You are responsible for the supervision of your children at Cub Scout events. Simply be prepared to step in to help him participate constructively, step away from the activity for a few minutes to reset, or take him home, if necessary.
If a boy first joins Cub Scouts as a Bear, may they go back and earn the Tiger Cub and Wolf badges?
No. In the Cub Scout program, all youth in a den work toward the same badge. If a boy or girl joins Cub Scouting as a third grader, they will begin working on the Bear badge with his fellow Cub Scouts. Youth are not required to have earned the Tiger Cub or Wolf badges. Since those badges are for younger Cub Scouts (1st & 2nd Grade), the requirements for those badges are below a third grader’s current level of ability, so “going back” to pick up those badges is not permitted.
If a youth completes the Wolf badge early, may he begin working on the Bear badge?
No. In the Cub Scout program, all Cub Scouts in a den work toward a badge that is geared to their level of development. If the Wolf badge is completed before the end of the program year, a Cub Scout may work on electives to earn Arrow Points, but they may not begin working on the requirements for the Bear badge. Cub Scouts work on the Bear badge will begin the next program year when they graduate into a Bear Den.
As I read the outlines from Tiger Cubs through Arrow of Light, some of the requirements and activities seem similar to those completed in earlier years. Why?
You have discovered one of the beauties of the Boy Scouting program. From start to completion, it is a spiral of learning and fun that builds upon previous experience in the program. Basic skills and concepts learned at an early age are repeated and expanded upon to reinforce the knowledge. It is all age-appropriate.